Chapter 17
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2 days later...
- So, for the next few weeks, you're going to have to work for Night Raid. I'll finish making all the arrangements, and we'll get out of here. - I nodded.
- Who else agreed? - Akame asked, standing at the door.
- Lubbock, Mein, Shelly. As for Chelsea... I don't know. Maybe I'll call her, and if she says no, I'll have to kill her. - I shrugged.
- What about Najenda? Should we kill her, too? - Esdes, standing next to me and trying to hug me for the second time, raised an eyebrow at me. Akame looked at that, but didn't say anything.
- No. Her death will affect the spirit of the revolutionaries. And then, the forces will not be equal. - I shook my head.
- I see. Now let's talk about more personal matters. - Akame said sharply. Oh, what's about to happen... -I certainly don't mind Esdes... But I don't think she knows about our relationship with you, Kaneki.
Esdes had a face like she'd been hit over the head with a frying pan. I tensed up involuntarily, preparing for... everything.
- Yes, Esdes, I have loved you, I love you, and I will love you just as much as I love Akame. - I admit it. - I hope you...
But Esdes interrupted me with a hug. For the first two seconds, I tried to figure out what to expect.
- You're with me, and that's what matters. And the other one... won't get in the way at all. - said this--this--this--
Esdes is still completely inexperienced with relationships. Still, as I understand it, she thinks that Akame will just hang around occasionally... But no way.
- I'm of the same opinion. - Akame said. Hmmm... What a subtle jab at Esdes....
- Um... That's good, now let's go, I'll talk to Najenda, and after that, we'll head to the Capital.
***
- Do you realise that by doing this, you could lead the Night Raid to destruction? - Najenda asked angrily. Esdes, to my left, snorted contemptuously.
- No, it couldn't. Esdes had been declared a traitor because someone had seen her in contact with me, a member of the Night Raid, and General Budo and one Nilla Fernandez had been sent to eliminate me and her. The latter I killed, but about Budo I do not know, he fell from the top, struck by my fire, but the further fate, I do not know. - I said phlegmatically.
- Still, she's a danger to us! - Najenda raised her tone again.
- You are as cowardly as when you were in the Imperial Army. - Esdes snorted again. - I can't believe Kaneki obeys a weakling like you.
- WHAT??? - Najenda was furious.
- Anyway, Esdes, Akame and I are going to the Capital to reconnoitre the situation. See you later. - I waved my hand, turning around and heading for the exit.
- How do you talk to the commander???? Stop!!! - Najenda shouted, but I was already leaving the hall.
***
- I think the boss is going to be furious. - Akame, who was walking to my left, said.
- I'm sure he will. - I nodded, glancing at a disgruntled Esdes in her hood. When I arrived in the Capital, it turned out that Esdes and I had our faces plastered on every corner, along with the flyers of Akame, Najenda, and the deceased Bulat. - but I don't care what she thinks, and you already know why.
- Still, I think the three figures in deep hoods are very suspicious. - Akame grumbled once again, throwing a disgruntled glance at Esdes.
- Enough grumbling, we're here. - I said as I entered the Delicious Paradise.
Fortunately, all the tables were empty, allowing us to talk to Haiso in peace.
- K-Kaneki!?? - came the voice of the man in question.
- Hi, Jaiso. - I smiled and took off my hood.
- Hi... I didn't think you'd be a member of the Night Raid. - Heiso said in astonishment, and at that moment, my companions threw off their hoods. The coffee shop owner's jaw flew to the planet's core, and I was inwardly glad that no one knew about my kuroken identity.
- Speaking of which, can you tell me about the news around here? I've been... let's just say I haven't been at my best for the last week. - I said, smiling meaningfully.
- Ah... it's... - shocked started to raise his hand towards the girls, Haiso.
- Yes, yes, yes, yes, these are the famous Akame and Esdes. News? - I waved my hand impatiently.
***
Walking out of the coffee shop, we got very busy. It turned out that the night before last, there was a huge monster attack. The death toll was over a hundred, and there were even some who were killed and eaten in their own homes. The official story is that a Tokyo kuroken and its offspring were out hunting.
- What are your thoughts? - I asked the girls.
- Was I your first? - Akame asked suspiciously, making me gasp for air.
- Oh... Don't worry, they're certainly not my children. - I hummed.
- In that case, they must be the other Ghouls you were talking about. - Akame shrugged her shoulders.
- Nope. - I wrinkled my nose. - They... never hunt so openly. And to go into someone's house... That's wild even for me, and even for... the other Ghouls... they rarely hunt in cities.
- What do you mean "even for me"? - Esdes asked in surprise.
- Among his kin, he is one of the most reckless. - Akame repeated what I had once said.
- That's right, but I was wrong, because the killer was a Ghoul. - I realised with horror. His body was still on that roof.
- "Esdes," I said with difficulty. - Where did you put the body of the Ghoul I killed on that roof? When we first met after my discovery.
- We took it to the palace cellars. We thought those tentacles were... kagune, I think? - I nodded. - They were his teigu, and those labs are usually in the business of carving teigu out of bodies.
Of course, it's a little hard to believe... But if the people here were somehow able to create fake Ghouls, then... that would be pretty bad. However, they should smell like the Ghoul I smelled on that guy. Which makes it a little easier.
- Where do they put the corpses of the guards I left behind? - I asked, turning back to Esdes.
- Hmm... they burn them, I guess. - Esdes shrugged.
- I see. Tonight, I'm going to walk around the city. Alone. Okay? - I raised an eyebrow.
- Where are we going to sleep? - Akame asked.
- At Haiso's, in that coffee shop. I've already made arrangements. - I nodded, glancing at the setting sun.
- Okay, what are we going to do now? - Esdes asked with some strange notes.
- Hmm... Do you have any ideas? - I raised an eyebrow.
- I'd like to meet the Huntsmen. You don't mind if a couple more people join your future team, do you?
- Mmm... I hear you. Then let's get out there right now. So we don't waste any time later. - I nodded.
- No way. They're probably in the palace, where we can't go, but... we should still look for them in the city.
- In that case, I'll try to find them. - I nodded, looking up at the tower of the church bell tower. It's about time I got a taste of what it's like to be an assassin.
Meanwhile...
- Dorothea... Your men were too loud. - spoke the Minister. - I don't care about this rabble, but discontent is growing, and soon, there may be riots within the city. So... As far as I know, tonight you're going out with them again?
- I am. I'd like to observe them more on a real hunt. - Dorothea nodded. - By the way, have you heard from Kaneki Ken? - She asked Budo with an almost fanatical gleam in her eye, her eyes on the boy in the photograph in her hands.
- Nothing. He's probably holed up in the Night Raid's hideout, or dead. I doubt the latter, though. - the general frowned.
- Don't worry, Dorothea, if some guy can help you create those perfect soldiers, we'll give him to you dead or alive. - grinned the Minister, sinking his teeth into a piece of meat, while watching the artificial Ghouls from below, devouring three people alive, trying to get the most tasty piece.
- Alive! I want him alive! I really want to talk to him, because according to the data I got from General Budo, he has incredible regeneration and more than one tentacle! - Dorothea exclaimed enthusiastically as she began to devour the photograph again.
***
I wrapped myself tighter in my cloak, shivering in the cold night wind. By the way, despite the loss of magic, my clothes still regenerate, though only when I'm wearing them. As a result, I've come to the conclusion that my body has lachrymised to some extent, but so insignificantly that it's barely enough to heat my body. And what do I know about lachrymation? That it interacts with the magical background of the world, exchanging energy, in parallel releasing the excess, which is there all the time, into the environment.
The girls, albeit reluctantly, stayed asleep in the attic of the coffee shop, and I headed out to scout the streets for Ghoul imitations. Why do I call them that? Because now I can consider myself a real Ghoul because of evolution. If my right eye is completely changed to a Ghoul eye, I guess the rest of my organs are no different.
Still, it's interesting to see who was able to create a Ghoul likeness on the artefacts here.....
Out of the corner of my ear, I heard a woman's scream coming from a house about 300 metres away. The scream was followed by a snarl and the sound of flesh being pierced. I grinned, and then headed for the house at full speed.
I stopped abruptly when I heard another scream from a woman, rivalling the growl... and cry of a child. And this scream was coming from the opposite direction, but only 50 metres away. I sighed, releasing the kagune, and taking off at an even greater speed, covering the distance in just a few seconds, flying into the room through the, already broken, window.
The bloody face of the guy, with one kakugane burning brightly, instantly comes into view. As well as a single tentacle behind his back, somewhat similar to the ones that Ghoul had, but without the mouth on the end.
- Heh, new guy, huh? - grinned that pile of meat. - I've never seen you before.
- And curse God for seeing you. - I grinned, releasing all 8 tentacles and showing the right side of my face where the right kakugan was located.
- You..." the fake started dazedly, but I had already pierced the guy's body with my kagune.
- Fake. - I spat, turning my attention back to the girl holding a child about a year and a half old. - Are you okay?
- Aaaaah... w-you..." the girl said fearfully.
- Kaneki Ken. - I made a little bow. - Spray the rooms with some perfume and then lock yourself somewhere indoors.
I jumped out the window and was about to ride on when I heard Wade's voice in the distance.
- Kurome, there's another one on the left!
I grinned as I headed towards the Huntsmen, smelling the slight scent of a woman's perfume along with that of Ghoul. Hmm, does their creator walk with his children?
A dozen seconds later, I was already on the roof, and on the street below me, Kurome, Balls, Seriu and Wade were fighting with 6 Ghouls. One blonde and 3 Ghouls were watching from the sidelines, surrounding her like servants. So that's who created them... Interesting. By the way, the Huntsmen were clearly giving up on the battlefield. Here's Wade trying to chop up one of the fakes, but the sword bounces off the skin of the guy with the right kakugan. The latter, hand strike, throws Wade's sword aside, and with his other hand grabs the guy by the neck, intending to bite off a chunk of his shoulder.
- WADE!!! - Kurome shouts, however she herself is in a deafening defence against the attacks of one of the fakes.
Hmmm... Why not help? After all, if Esdes can get them to join me... I'll get some pretty good units. All right, I'll be the noble knight tonight, saving the day.
I let out a single blade, which abruptly starts to increase in length, piercing the fake's back in a second. By the way. My RC cell reserve has increased tremendously since evolving, which will now allow me to create some very intricate shapes out of my kagune.
Meanwhile, Wade frees himself from the grip of his already dead hands, looking at me in shock. The others, however, were not too indifferent either. Fakes and huntsmen alike.
- What are you doing out here? Esdes would be very unhappy if she knew that one of you had died. - I asked loudly, jumping down. - I agree though, those fakes hurt even my pride. - I smirked, waving my hand towards the dead guy.
- You..." holding his hand around his neck, Wade said.
- Anyway, I came here to deal with them, and you can add to my troubles. So shove off, and Esdes will talk to you tomorrow. - I waved my hand, but... my hopes were not fulfilled. Koro, who suddenly appeared, tried to kill me, and judging by Seriu's face, he wished so for a reason.
The only question is, why is he alive? I mean, I'm kind of... Oh yeah, there could be some kind of muteness going on there, where the wielder gives up some of his life force to restore the teigu. Anyway, it's a waste.
I unleashed all 8 tentacles, piercing the huge, overpowered dog with them, trying to find its core. It wasn't particularly difficult, though, as it was caught literally in the first second. The dog froze, and I, smiling sadly at the senseless loss, pierced the core in the form of a disc.
In the same second, Koro crumbled into ash, and a metre-long disc with an even gash in the middle fell on the road.
- You... It's you!" I heard a woman's voice, and then, turning my head, I saw the same blonde girl, almost licking her lips, approaching me.
- OUR MEAT!!!! - I heard one of the fakes screaming madly, and then he lunged at me.
The guy was instantly pierced by three of my blades, turning his torso into a chop.
- The fakes didn't get a word in edgewise. - I snorted, "Not to animals, anyway. And yes, I am me. - I turned to the blonde.
The Huntsmen didn't waste any time, by the way. At least, everyone's already gone, except for Seriu... who's just been dragged away.
- Kaneki Ken... What luck!!! - exclaimed the girl.
- First of all, introduce yourself, it's not right that you know me and I don't know you. - I waved my hand, while watching another guy, who began to shake strangely, tensing his muscles, as if preparing to jump.
However, the thought slipped in, why would I even bother to tense up? I nodded to my thoughts, and in the next second, another pierced body fell to the stone ground of the street.
- Oh, really, that's kind of uncivilised of me. - nodded. - I am Dorothea. Alchemist and member of the Wild Hunt.
- Wild Hunt? - I raised an eyebrow, squinting my eyes at another tense Ghoul girl.
- Oh, that's Shura's team, the Prime Minister's son, since you don't know. - Dorothea smiled.
- And why did you react to me like that? I'm not that famous... And no, the flyers are hanging... - I grinned, piercing another Ghoul who rushed at me.
- Oh, eight tentacles, two eyes... perfect..." Dorothea mumbled to herself, but I heard everything perfectly.
- Speaking of which. - I remembered, waving my hand in the direction of the fake Ghouls glaring at me. - Did you create those Ghoul imitations?
- What did you call them? Ghouls? Is that what they call people like you? I need to write this down, stat. - Dorothea chirped fanatically as she began scribbling something down in a notebook that had appeared from somewhere.
- Um..." I stretched out dazedly.
- So, you're coming with me! - Dorothea exclaimed. - There's so much to explore!
- I'm not going anywhere with you! - I said indignantly. - And anyway, I'm not your guinea pig!
At that moment, all five of the remaining Ghouls swarmed towards me. But... how slow. Almost the speed of a normal human, except a little faster. I dodged, piercing all five at once with my kagune, noting the completely uncooperative behaviour, animalistic stupidity and uncontrollable kagune.
- Fakes. - I snorted.
- Unbelievable... all five of them..." muttered Dorothea admiringly.
- As you can see, I'm not going anywhere with you. - I grinned.
The girl grinned, and then she was quick enough to get out of her seat, making a fist to strike. I grinned, going to block and twist the girl... but suddenly, her punch almost knocked me back. Hmm, I should have thought this alchemy was weak. See, not everywhere alchemy represents potions.
The girl's face bloomed with surprise, and I kicked her under her breath at full speed. Dorothea flew off, but landed on her feet.
- You're... even more amazing. - Dorothea said smiling, rubbing her chest (flat surface) in a dazed manner.
- I haven't shown you half of my power. - so don't make me kill you, and tell me everything you know about these fakes. - I waved my hand at the bodies lying there.
- Forgeries? - Dorothea was outraged. - These are my best creatures!
- Compared to a normal Ghoul. - I began. - They are mere animals, unable to kill even the weakest of our race.
- Our race? - Dorothea interjected, pulling out her notebook again. Shit, I subconsciously want to tell her everything, I like such personalities... If they are girls.
- I'm a Ghoul. We're not human, and we never were. We feed exclusively on human flesh and water, which allows us to have a kagune. - I said, inwardly beating myself up for such revelations with the enemy.
- Kagune? What is that? - Dorothea asked, continuing to take notes.
- This. - I waved my hand in the direction of the tentacles that had instantly grown behind me. - The eyes are called kakugans, which greatly improve vision. I could go on and on about Ghouls, but since you're on the Empire's side, there won't be much of a story. - I smiled sadly, pointing my tentacles in Dorothea's direction.
- And if I were a revolutionary? Would you tell about yourself? - Dorothea raised her head sharply. What a pity I don't have empathy ...
- I would. And maybe even assist in a couple of experiments that wouldn't be dangerous to my health. - I nodded, not bothering to point out that even cutting off a couple of limbs wouldn't be harmful to my health because they'd grow back.
- Ai-yi-yi-yi, shame on you for poaching our comrades. - I heard a woman's voice.
I looked up and saw a bespectacled girl on the roof with a microphone in her hands and a clown and a man with a katana standing next to her.
- I feel like I'm going to have a lot of fun tonight. - I grinned, releasing my kakuja.